The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-07-01
for $4,000. 1t won't cost that much
THE LowETH SYSTEM.

Sioux City, in regard to the Loweth sew
er system recently adopted by that city.
The reply received is as follows:
Sioux CRY, Iowa, June %, 1887.
MIR. >. r. ALBERGER,
Dear Sir:-In reply to yours ofthe 2lst
inst. would state that the plans made by
Mr.. &. +. Loweth, of st. Paul, Mimi,
for the sewerage OF this city were adopt
ed by the city council and have given
perfect satisfaction.
Active operations on our system were
commenced last spring. At the close of
lle seasons work We had over five
miles oi the sewers constructed. This is
exclusive of old storm. water sewers in
corporaied as n part of the system and
the constructions of house connections.
At to-night's meeting of the council
bids will be received for over three
miles extensions To the system.
II not trespassing upon your time |
Will briefly mention some of the difficult
ties encounter, d anu successfully over
come by Mr. l.Oweth in preparing the
plans for this city. You are probably
we'll acquainted with the peculiar loca-
ton of our town and the difficulties of
draining the business part thereof, ow-
ing to the high water of the Missouri
| river at different periods of the wear and
| the low elevation of our business dis
trict. Thus IN 1881 the water of the Mis-
| sour rose TO within four feet of the
highest point of the pavement on Front
street tour main business thoroughbred
and every year sees the water up to a
point level with the floors of the base
ments in this district. To meet the diff
| ticulty, Mr.. Loweth has designed sep
araie and low grade system of sewerage
for this district which empties by grayi-
ty into the Missouri river during the low
water and during high water the sewer
age is pumped into the high grade sew
er which drains all that portion of our
town not drained by the low grade sys
| tenn. At present we have in operation
| successfully temporary pumping plant
consisting of Il ten III. p. engine and
boiler and four inch centrifugal pump
This station will be used until the plant
designed by MIR. Loweth can be built.
There are several other complications
growing ont of the difficulty in obtaining
natural drainage into the Missouri at all
seasons Of the year, the description of
which lack of space prevents.
| should be pleased to see you i'm
Sioux City and have you look over our
system OF drainage. AS business man
you will appreciate the fact that no sys-
tenn of sewerage can be successfully con-
structed without the most careful super
vision. A cement combing left in the
pipe, inaccurate grades, unprote cted
house connections and countless other
points in careless construction will rem
der any system useless.
Trusting that you may be as well
pleased with Mr.. Loweth's plans as we
are in Sioux City, remain
| Very truly yours,
| W. =. WRITTEN, City Engineer.
LETTER FROM LowETH CURTIS WHICH
TAX-PAYERs SHOULD READ.
ST.. PAUL, MIMI, June %, 1887.
| Editor Free Press:
AS nearly every one has had some
| thing to say in reference to sewerage for
| your city, and the plaHs therefor, as pre-
| pared by our Mr.. Loweth some three
years since, we desire hearing also.
| We do not intend at this time to en-
ter into lengthy controversy over this
question, but merely to make few ex-
plantations.
Within the last year whenever the
sewerage question has been more or less
prominently before your council, we
have from time to time manifested a
willingness to meet with the council or
sewerage committee and talk over the
plans for the work proposed to be done,
and this at no expense to the city.
We were willing to do this, because
having made the plans for the work we
wanted it to be all right, realizing that
were it otherwise it would be profes.
siOnal detriment to us.
Several weeks since We mentioned to
both MIR. Alberger and Engineer Lilly
that in some respects the plans could be
modified to advantage whenever the city
desired 10 commence work, and last
week We sent Mr.. Lilly revised plans for
some detail of construction, and were
hoping to receive from the council an
| invitation to come down and consult
the work proposed; instead of which we
hear they have sent for another engin-
eer" to advise with them. This much
to explain our disposition in the matter
and the way in which it has been met.
When plans for the work were made
we were not aware of the character of
the soil along Front street, and had we
suspected then the difficulties from
quicksand which exist, we would have
planned accordingly.
The topography is not such as would
indicate the probability of quicksand,
rather the contrary.
If our plan shows the outlet sewer
farther down the river than may now
seem necessary, we remind you that the
city water supply, when these plans
were made, was taken from a point but
little removed upstream from our outlet,
and we could not plan to have any sew
erage discharged into the river above the
water works intake.
| The Front street sewer as indicated on
our plans was laid deeper than would
otherwise have been desirable, i'm order
that at Warren's creek it should be low
enough to receive the sewerage from the
district beyond the creek.
| 1t will not be many years before this
section of your city will demand proper
sewerage. Already some of these whose
interviews you recently published ask
for sewerage i'm the residence district.
| We submit to your citizens whether
or no, it IS not the best policy to make
provision for further requirements when
it can be done IN the work now in con-
temptation and at comparatively small
additional expense rather than to build
costly independent works in the near
future.
Your citizens are not short-sighted III
their private business, why should they
not consider the same policy in city at-
| fairs?
We admit a sewer in Front street can
be more cheaply built if designed SIM
| ply for the benefit of Front street prop
erty, but in the end it would not prove
to be plan as desirable and economical
as one which anticipated and provides
for the requirements of the near future
in the adjoining and naturally tributary
district.
We assert positively that mistake will
be made if any plan is followed which
looks to the discharge of any sewerage
into the river above the bridge. Ii would
result in making the river within the
city offensive to sight and smell. Other
cities have tried this plan and found it a
grave mistake and one requiring large
future expenditures in order to obtain
relief.
We desire to meet with the council
before any plan of work is decided upon
and il our plan is wrong in principal we
will be glad to know il, but wherein it is
right We intend to stand by it.
We earnestly desire that whatever
sewers are built i'm your city shall work
successfully, for we are not tramps, and If
your work, when built to our designs,
proves failure 1t will be greater loss
to us, than to any individual tax payer
in your city. Respectfully,